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Alien Quadrilogy (UK - DVD R2)

The Alien movies have played a significant part in the development of the sci fi genre, and entertained many people along the way....

In 1979 a masterpiece was born; Ridley Scott introduced the world to his sci fi classic, Alien. Nearly a quarter of a century later, the movie is still held in high esteem, and is regularly featured in the top ten movies ever made. Unsurprisingly the movie inspired three other films (over different decades), all of which starred Sigourney Weaver as Ellen Ripley, the unfortunate heroine who had her fair share of encounters with the aliens. The unique thing about the Alien franchise was that each movie had a different director at the helm, each of whom introduced their own style of filming and ideas. This resulted in none of the movies being alike. The general consensus is that the first two movies are vintage classics, while the final two often split audience opinions right down the middle.

Earlier this year 20th Century Fox released the director’s cut of Alien in cinemas, the idea being to rekindle the interest in the franchise ready for the big release of The Alien Quadrilogy. This nine disc DVD release was announced earlier this year, and the buzz surrounding it has recently been gathering a tremendous pace, but now the wait is finally over!

The FilmsDue to the nature of the films and the fact that each movie follows on from one another, there are some spoilers throughout this section of the review. If you haven't seen the movies, it may be worth skipping this section. Here is a brief description of each of the movies:

AlienThis is where the Alien franchise began. Filmed in 1979 and directed by Ridley Scott, Alien is still considered one of the most original and inspiring movies ever made. The movie is set on the Nostromo, a spacecraft used for towing cargo around various locations in the galaxy. Aboard the Nostromo are seven talented crew members, who are woken from a deep hyper sleep when the ship's computer (Mother) intercepts a SOS transmission from a nearby planet. With no other choice but to answer the call, the ship is sent to investigate. Upon their arrival, the crew uncover an abandoned alien spaceship which houses some nasty looking cargo. Located inside the ship are a multitude of eggs, one of which hatches while crew member Kane (John Hurt) is investigating. A small creature from within the egg attaches itself to Kane's head and throat. Kane's colleagues try to remove the creature, but it has attached itself in such a way that its removal would result in Kane's death. Left with no other choice, the crew decide to leave the creature attached and head back home.

The creature eventually dies and Kane appears to make a miraculous recovery. However, it is during dinner that he starts to suffer from chest pains which result in an alien bursting out of his stomach. Obviously distressed by the incident, the crew start to wonder what type of species has killed Kane. It is not too long before they find out! Since the encounter in the dining room, the alien has grown in size and also has a deadly appetite to match. The alien gradually kills off members of the crew until it is left facing a final showdown with First Officer Ripley (Sigourney Weaver). Ripley outwits the alien by locking it in the Nostromo and pressing the self destruct button. Meanwhile she makes a sharp exit in an escape shuttle called the Narcissus.

AliensSet over fifty years after the original movie, Aliens sees the return of Ripley who is rescued and taken to a Space station above the Earth's orbit. Things aren't all rosy for her though, and her past comes back to haunt her when she is called in front of a tribunal to defend her decision to blow up the Nostromo. Ripley is also suffering from sleepless nights due to her encounters in the first movie. However, she has the chance to tackle her nightmares head on when she is asked to accompany a team of military marines to the planet where the alien craft was originally found. Since her last visit the planet has been inhabited, but contact has been lost with the colony and fears have grown that the aliens may have something to do with this.

The rescue party arrive on the planet to find that there is only one survivor, a young girl called Newt, (Carrie Henn) who has survived by hiding away from the Aliens. It is not long before the marines encounter for the aliens for the first time, and as you would expect there are several casualties! As well as fighting the aliens, Ripley has to keep an eye on one of the crew, who works for the company and seems to have a hidden agenda. After several action sequence which last for nearly an hour, the movie culminates with a showdown between Ripley and the Alien Queen. Classic Stuff!

Alien 3Alien 3 is by far the darkest of the Quadrilogy, and this theme is immediately evident from the opening sequence where we find out that after the events of the previous movie there is only one survivor, who unsurprisingly is Ripley. Her craft has crash-landed on a planet called Fiorina 161, which is home to a prison housing some of the Earth's worst criminals. However, this is the least of Ripley's worries as she soon discovers that during her journey back to Earth, a face hugger impregnated her. There is also another alien running amok on the planet, which is similar to the other aliens that Ripley has encountered but also extremely quick. As if things couldn't get any worse, it appears that the company have also found out about Ripley's situation and are sending a team to take her into quarantine.

Alien ResurrectionSet 200 years after the proceedings of Alien 3, Alien Resurrection bravely (or foolishly!) tackles the topic of cloning. The screenwriters for this movie must have had a nightmare thinking of a premise, as the previous movie left very little scope for a follow-on movie, so I suppose the idea of cloning Ripley was about the only feasible solution. This fourth instalment is set onboard a secret space station owned by the Company, who have set up a cloning programme where they clone Ripley, and more importantly the alien queen embryo which was inside her. The cloning process is not a complete success, as Ripley’s clone has acid blood, super strength and, more disturbingly, the ability to understand the aliens.

Storing aliens in a confined location is like having a ticking time bomb, so it shouldn’t come as a great surprise to find out that a team of space smugglers are planning to hijack the space station and use the crew as breeding subjects for the aliens. Predictably things don’t go to plan, and the aliens escape and run amok in the process. Cue a cat and mouse chase where the crew at the space station (aided by Ripley) try to make their way to an escape ship, while at the same time avoiding the aliens. Incidentally the space station is on a collision course with Earth, which could result in an infestation of aliens.

So, what makes the Alien franchise so appealing to fans? Well, there are several reasons really; exciting set-pieces, engrossing storylines and intriguing characters are just some of the ingredients which result in the movies being so well received. There’s no doubt that the first movie has been a catalyst for many other sci fi movies over the last couple of decades. Personally I rate Aliens as being even better than the original movie, in fact I would go as far as to rate it as one of the best action/sci fi movies ever made. It has everything you could ask for from an action movie. The last hour is pure, unadulterated action, and is a pleasure to watch. I must have seen it over twenty times, but even so it still keeps me on the edge of my seat.

Unfortunately, after Aliens the franchise took a nose dive. Alien 3 is not as bad as some people make out, but it could have been so much better! The fact that David Fincher wants very little to do with the movie further justifies the disappointment fans have with it. Even the mediocrity of Alien 3 couldn’t have prepared fans for Alien Resurrection. The movie has some good points and visually it is the best of the series, but at the same time it is flounders in so many ways, none more so than with the ending which is a travesty. Jean Pierre Jeunet obviously had some interesting ideas for the movie, and it does look impressive at times, but sadly it was not the ending to the franchise most fans had hoped for.

I could go on for pages and pages about the Alien franchise, but chances are if you are reading this review you have seen all the films and know their merits/pitfalls. The Alien movies have played a significant part in the development of the sci fi genre, and entertained many people along the way. Surely you cannot miss out on such classics?

VideoHaving owned the previous Alien DVD boxset, I am quite familiar with the transfers for each film. At the time I was more than happy with the previous DVD box set, however having seen this new collection, all I can say is WOW! For the purpose of this review I'll go through each transfer and discuss their merits and downfalls. There are two versions of each movie in this collection. The theatrical versions are presented in their original theatrical aspect ratios, while the extended versions (more about these later) are presented in anamorphic widescreen 2.35:1, apart from Aliens which is shown in 1.85:1.

What better place to start then than with Alien, which for the purpose of this DVD collection has received a complete facelift. The recent trend has seen older movies getting first class transfers, and that is certainly the case here. Considering the age of Ridley Scott's classic, Alien has no right to look this good. The level of detail is amazing (a good example of this is the egg sequence at the beginning). The image is also in pristine condition and is further evidence of what a good job 20th Century Fox have done with this transfer. The colour palette is impressive; at times the colours are vibrant (the dinner scene), but the majority of the movie is shot in dark lighting, and this transfer deals with everything that is thrown at it. Probably the most remarkable aspect of this transfer is the lack of grain, which is almost non-existent throughout. There are no obvious signs of edge enhancements, and compression artifacts are also nowhere to be seen. A good start to the collection!

Aliens is probably the weakest transfer on the disc, but even so it looks much better than the previous DVD release. The level of grain for this movie has always been a concern of mine, and although it has been improved considerably with this latest outing, there is still an unhealthy level. The worst aspect of this transfer is undoubtly the compression artifacts which are quite distracting, especially during some of the darker scenes. I find blockiness to be really annoying, and for my liking there is too much evident with this transfer. Apart from that, the image is in pretty good condition. At times the level of detail is good, and colours also seemed more lifelike than in the previous release. Unfortunately this transfer suffers from more bad points than good, and is sadly not as I had hoped!

Alien 3 and Alien Resurrection are pretty much par for the course. Both transfers have considerably more detail than the preceding movies, and also have a more vibrant colour palette. Alien 3 also has a darker range of colours and seems to deal with black levels competently. David Fincher’s movie is a full of dark tunnels and lots of steam, but this transfer deals with both aspects impressively and doesn’t suffer from pixilation, which can normally been attributed to steamy effects. For both transfers the level of detail is very good and there is very little sign of grain.

As expected, the better of the two transfers is Resurrection, but considering the age difference this is not surprising. Alien Resurrection also features more CGI shots than the other movies, and fortunately these effects are not exposed with this transfer. Compared to their previous releases, both Alien 3 and Resurrection have slightly improved transfers, but there really is very little in it and the average DVD buyer will notice little, if any difference.

AudioAs with the video section, I will go through each movie in sequence and talk about their respective soundtracks. First up is Alien, which has been treated to a 5.1 Dolby Digital track and also an impressive DTS track. Unlike Aliens, this first instalment tends to deal better with the more subtle effects rather than big bangs. The first half of the movie is slowly paced, and there is not very much action, however this is where the atmospheric effects come into play and these tracks really impress. I normally go for movies which have noisy soundtracks, so it makes a nice change to listen to a track which will have you looking behind you in case there is an Alien there! As expected, the DTS track has the slight edge, but there is very little difference.

Aliens is a complete contrast in that while we only get the one Dolby Digital 5.1 track, it is an active no holds barred track which should have your neighbours reaching for cover! The rears are used throughout the movie, and while it may not match the latest Hollywood releases, the track on offer is still mighty fine. This soundtrack isn't subtle; there are explosions and noises everywhere and fortunately the dialogue never appears to get lost in the soundstage. Alien 3 is next up and once again we only get an English Dolby Digital 5.1 track due to storage restraints. On the whole this is another competent track, and due to the nature of the movie this soundtrack is restrained, but even so there are some nice effects that make their way to the rears. That said, the soundstage is mostly driven by the front speakers and for the most part the dialogue is audible. There are a few glitches with the additional scenes, but I would rather the scenes were included as they are than not at all!

Alien Resurrection is treated to two soundtracks, a DTS track and a Dolby Digital 5.1 effort. Considering that this is the latest outing in the franchise, it should come as no surprise to find that it is also the most immersive. The advance in cinema is clear here, as we get spaceships, explosions, alien screeches and various other loud noises all making their way to the rear soundstage. The movie may be the poorest of the series, but Fox have done an excellent job with the soundtracks. Once again the DTS tracks sound slightly fuller, but there isn't much in it.

ExtrasAs mentioned above this boxset is made up of nine discs, five of which are solely dedicated to extras. If that is not enough you will also find a handful of features on each of the movie discs. In addition, as well as the theatrical versions of each movie, fans are also treated to alternate versions, which apart from Alien are not Director's Cuts as such, but nevertheless they certainly add more depth to the movies. Alien contains around five minutes of additional footage, while fans should be familiar with the Aliens Special Edition version which has been around for many years. The additional footage for Alien 3 is the standout extended version, containing an extra thirty minutes and featuring scenes which enhance Finchers's original version. Most of the scenes are dialogue based, but there are also some action scenes included for good measures. The Alien Resurrection alternate version is less attractive and offers only a handful of additional scenes, most of which are uneventful and fail to improve the movie. Sadly lacking from this region two release are the optional markers, which pinpoint the additional scenes. This extra was included with the region one collection and is a useful option when trying to explore what scenes were added.

The quadrilogy also features several commentaries, which are all housed on the movie discs. Alien has a commentary with Ridley Scott, Dan O’Bannon, Ronald Shusett, Terry Rawlings, Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton and John Hurt. Aliens’ commentary is with James Cameron, Michael Biehn, Jenette Goldstein, Carrie Henn, Terry Henn, Lance Henriksen, Gale Anne Hurd, Pat McClung, Bill Paxton, Dennis Skotak, Robert Skotak and Stan Winston. The third Alien movie is accompanied by a commentary with Alex Thompson, Terry Rawlings, Alec Gillis, Tom Woodruff Jr., Richard Edlund, Lance Henriksen and Paul McGann. Alien Resurrection has a commentary with Jean Pierre Jeunet, Herve Schneid, Alec Gillis, Tom Woodruff Jr., Pitof, Sylvain Despretz, Ron Perlman, Dominique Pinon and Leland Orser. All of the commentaries appear to have been edited together, but nevertheless they are intriguing and offer bags of information which should keep fans listening attentively. The single disappointing factor is that the commentaries are only available on the theatrical releases, and not the extended editions as they were on the region one release.

On the 'extras only' discs, the supplements are split into four different sections. The sections are labelled Pre-Production, Production and Post-Production. The fourth section is entitled Navigation Options, and allows you to watch all the featurettes as a long continuous documentary, view all the artwork and also view all photos. For the purpose of this review I am going to go through each of the discs and order them in terms of movies.

AlienThe first extra is called Star Beast - Developing the Story which is an in-depth look at the ideas behind how Alien was developed and brought to the big screen. The documentary starts off by introducing the writers, who in turn give a brief overview of other films they have been involved with. This is an interesting start to the set; it includes lots of interview footage and runs for just over eighteen minutes. Next up is an extra entitled First Draft Screenplay By Dan O'Bannon. This is a text-based extra where we get to see some of the original screenplay and read comments about the ideas behind it. The Visualists - Direction and Design is the title of the next extra and is another documentary which delves into the choice behind directors, and also how the alien character was created. This documentary also includes some engrossing discussions with H.R Giger. Gordon Carroll (The Producer) also has lots of input into this extra, as does Ridley Scott who gives various interviews throughout, which ensure that the documentary lasts for just over sixteen minutes. The bizarrely named Ridleygrams - Original Thumbnails and Notes is the next extra I stumbled upon, and is made up of a series of thumbnail drawings which Ridley Scott used to impress 20th Century Fox before filming began. The studio were so impressed that they doubled his overall budget! Following along the same lines is a Storyboard Archive which comprises of a series of still images.

Still in the Pre Production section, the next extra I came across was The Art Of Alien - Conceptual Portfolio, which as the title suggests is another art gallery consisting of designs by H.R. Giger, Ron Cobb, Chris Foss and Jean 'Moebius' Giraud. The galleries can be viewed separately or all together. Moving back to the documentaries, the next one to watch is called Truckers In Space, which is entirely devoted to the effort that went into the casting for the movie. Keeping up the high standards so far, this documentary includes various interviews with the people involved with casting for the movie. It is obvious that a lot of effort went into this aspect of the film, and this is emphasised by the fact that this documentary lasts for just under fifteen minutes. Next up is Sigourney Weaver's Screen Test, which is accompanied by an optional commentary performed by Ridley Scott. The final extra in the Pre-Production section is yet another gallery, this one is called Cast Portrait Galley and shows various still images of the cast.

Moving onto the Production section, the first extra is called Fear Of The Unknown. This documentary focuses on the sets that were created for the movie and also other areas such as the costumes which were used. Following hotly in pursuit is another documentary titled The Darkness Reaches, which focuses on Nostromo and the Alien Planet. The third and final documentary in this section is named The Eighth Passenger and is entirely devoted to the creature design. If you are intrigued by the Alien itself, then you will love this documentary. The focus then moves back to galleries and the next one is entitled Production Gallery. Keeping the images flowing is an extra called Continuity Polariods which is a bunch of images consisting of prop placements and make-up shots. A further two galleries can be found in this section, they are The Sets Of Alien and H.R. Giger's Workshop. Finally the last extra in this section is entitled The Chestbuster and makes good use of the angle functionality. The chestbuster scene is available in several different angles which you can change at any point. This extra is also accompanied by an optional commentary with Ridley Scott.

Galleries are also highly featured in the Post-Production section. There are three within this section, which are the Visual Effects Gallery, Special Shoot, Posters and Premiere. The focus then movies back to documentaries, and the first one in this section is called Future Tense. This is a documentary that focuses entirely on the music and editing for the movie. This documentary lasts for sixteen minutes, and is largely made up of input from Terry Rawlings (sound editor for the movie). The second documentary that you will find in this section is Outward Bound and talks about the visual effects that were used in the movie. This documentary is worth watching, if only to compare the advances in technology over the years. Saying that, there is no doubting that Alien was way ahead of its time. The final documentary in this section, and on the disc, is called A Nightmare Fulfilled. It concentrates on reactions to the film when it was released. It is interesting to see the fans' reaction to the movie; there were queues at most cinemas during its early days. Deleted Scenes are also included within this section. The scenes were not restored into the Director's Cut due to Ridley Scott's wishes or because of missing elements lost over the past quarter century. The scenes included are all completely remastered and re-edited under Ridley's supervision.

AliensSo, onto the Aliens extras, and the first documentary on this disc is 57 Years Later, which talks about the ideas behind the sequel and how it was envisaged to link in with the first movie. This documentary is eleven minutes long and is a good introduction to how the sequel came about. The next extra is called Original Treatment By James Cameron and is a text based extra which goes through the script of the movie. You have probably realised by now that documentaries make up a large proportion of the extras in this release, and the next one is called Building Better Worlds It lasts for over thirteen minutes and explains the process that was involved with the conceptual ideas, and how it was put into practice. Following on from that is an extra called Previsualizations – Multi-Angle Videomatics, which is accompanied by an optional commentary by Miniature Effects Supervisor Pat McClung. This extra shows a short three minute clip of how the special effects shots would look for a specific space scene. The next extra once again sees us moving into familiar ground with another documentary, this one is called Preparing For Battle, and focuses on the casting and characterization. This documentary lasts for seventeen minutes and as the title suggests it deals with the casting for the movie. The cast talk about their characters and why they were attracted to the movie.

Moving onto the Production section, the first extra is called This Time It’s War. This particular documentary lasts for nearly twenty minutes and is essentially a behind the scenes documentary. Action fans will love the next documentary which is called The Risk Always Lives which deals with the weapons and action in the movie. Hotly following in pursuit is another documentary called Bug Hunt which deals with the creature design and lasts for sixteen minutes. This documentary takes an in-depth look at how the creature’s design was modified for this sequel, and there are also some interesting accounts from the stars who talk about their experiences with the aliens. Beauty And The Bitch is the next documentary which focuses on the final battle scene between Ripley and the Queen Alien. Obviously this is an extra which you don’t want to watch before the movie, as it basically gives away the ending. The final documentary in this section is called Two Orphans and deals with the relationship between Sigourney Weaver & Carrie Henn, this particular extra lasts for thirteen minutes.

The Post Production section isn’t as comprehensive as the other sections, but even so it is still worth a look. The first documentary in this section is called The Final Countdown and is a documentary that looks at the music, editing and sound. This lasts for fifteen minutes. The Power Of Real Tech is a twenty-six minute documentary which shows how the special effects were created. It shows various models which were created for the movie and also shows various interviews with members of the special effects team. The final extra on this disc is called Aliens Unleashed, which lasts for twelve minutes and focuses on reactions to the film.

As with the previous extras disc, this disc also features a vast array of galleries, including The Art Of Aliens – Conceptual Art Portfolio (Gateway Station and Colony, Vehicles and Weapons and Aliens), Cast Portraits, Production, continuity Polaroid’s (photos of the props), weapons and vehicles, Stan Winston’s Workshop, Visual Effects and Film Finish & Release.

Alien 3Alien 3 might be a disappointment to many fans, but 20th Century Fox certainly haven’t skimped with the extras. The first documentary on the disc is called Development which from the start mentions the disappointment that the third Alien movie created. This documentary focuses on how the third script came about, and the difficulties that were involved with making the film. It is apparent that all the people involved with the movie were aware of the hype surround the previous outings, and wanted to created something completely different. This documentary lasts for just under seventeen minutes. The next documentary is called Tales Of The Wooden Planet and focuses on Vincent Ward’s Vision. Pre Production 3 is a documentary which deals with the build-up to filming. What is evident from all of these documentaries is that David Fincher is not involved with them. We get to see lots of photos of him behind the scenes, but he doesn’t provide any interviews. Taking a break from the documentaries, the next extra is made up of six different Storyboards, which can be viewed separately or all together. The final documentary in the Pre Production section is interestingly titled Xeno-Erotic and involves the design work that went into creating the new aliens for this movie. H.R. Giger had to do a complete redesign for this movie, so this documentary contains lots of input from him, and lasts for ten minutes in total.

The first extra you will come across in the Production section is called Production Part 1, and is a documentary which lasts for eighteen minutes and covers most of the behind the scenes footage from the movie. Furnace Construction is a tedious, but at the same time intriguing extra which shows how the furnace was created for the movie. This extra shows the work that went into creating the set pieces for the movie. Moving back to documentaries, and the next one is called Adaptive Organism and compliments the earlier documentary about the alien design. This documentary covers the same sort of detail and runs for twenty minutes. Another multi-angle extra is next up. It is called EEV Bioscan and gives you the option of watching the extra with five different angles. Heading up this section are two documentaries called Production Part 2 and Production Part 3.

In line with the previous discs, the Post Production section here contains several documentaries, some photo galleries and also a feature on how the movie was received. The first documentary is called Optical Fury and details the visual effects that were used in the film. It lasts for just over twenty-three minutes and is an elaborate look at how the alien was brought to the big screen. The next documentary is called Music, Editing and Sound and lasts for fourteen minutes. The final documentary is entitled Post-Mortem and is a damning look at the reaction the movie received upon its release. This extra could really have down with some input from David Fincher, so he could have at least defended some of his decisions.

The photo galleries that are found on this disc include The Art Of Archeon, The Art Of Fiorina, Production Gallery, A.D.I.’S Workshop, Visual Effects and Special Shoot (Promotional Photo Archive).

Alien ResurrectionWithin the Pre Production section on this disc, the first extra you will come across is entitled From The Ashes, which is a ten minute documentary showing how the Alien franchise was revived for this movie. This extra involves input from various members of the team who were involved with the script writing for the movie. Some of the previous crew members also talk about their disappointment in this movie being made. This documentary lasts for ten minutes and is an interesting insight into why the fourth movie was made. Next up is the First Draft Screenplay by Joss Whedon, so if you fancy reading what was planned for the movie originally then it is worth checking out this extra. If you want to learn more about the director of this movie then you will be interested in the next extra which is called French Twist. This documentary gives the director the opportunity to explain his methods of filming, and various members of the crew also express their views on his style of directing.

Under The Skin is the third documentary on this disc and covers the casting and characterization for the movie. This follows the same theme as previous discs and lasts for twelve minutes. Taking a break from documentaries, the next extra focuses on Test Footage and covers creatures and costumes. The footage was shot at Amalgamated and includes various tests from different stages of the Alien lifecycle in addition to tests for some of the more extreme human “kills” in the film. Next up are some Storyboards, of which there are eight in total. The final extra in this section is called Previsualization, which is a mulit angle rehearsal clip which Jean-Pierre Jeunet shot using the storyboards.

The Production section on this disc contains five extras (including two photo archives). The first documentary you will come across is called Death From Below and is one of the longest extras in the set. It lasts for over thirty minutes and is probably the most detailed behind the scenes documentary in the set. If you fancy looking at one of the best scenes in the movie, then you will find the next extra of interest, it is called In The Zone and details the basketball scene. By now you are probably noticing the patterns on each disc, so you won’t be surprised to find out that the next documentary focuses on the creature design. It is called Unnatural Mutation and lasts for around twenty-six minutes.

The Post Production section includes four documentaries, they are Genetic Composition, Virtual Aliens, A Matter Of Scale and A Critical Juncture. Probably the standout one is the latter which goes through the reaction to the movie. The documentary starts with Jean-Pierre Jeunet giving his reaction to the movie, and how it was received by critics. The photo galleries on this disc cover The Marc Carlo Portfolio, The Art Of Resurrection, Production, A.D.I.’s Workshop, Visual Effects and Special Shoot (Promotional Photo Archive).

The Bonus DiscThe ninth disc in this set is consists completely of extras, and covers all four of the movies. As you would expect the disc is split into sections which related to each of the films. In the Alien section there is a documentary called Alien Revolution which has a running time of sixty-four minutes and leaves no stone unturned. This documentary was a channel 4 production and if there are any facts that you were still craving after watching the extras disc, I am sure they will be dealt with here, it’s that comprehensive. The next documentary looks to have been made around the same time as the film was released. It is only seven minutes long, but nevertheless I am sure fans will find something of interest. The next extra is a Q&A Session with Ridley Scott, which took place at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood on September 14 2001. The session took place after a showing of Alien in the theatre, and after the film finishes Ridley is invited onto the stage and he answers several questions that are thrown at him. The session lasts for over fifteen minutes and makes for interesting viewing. This section also includes a Laser Disc Archive and Alien Trailers And TV Spots.

The other sections are slightly disappointing in that it only houses a few different types of extras. The Aliens section only contains Four Trailers, some TV Spots and a Laser Disc Archive, while the Alien 3 section has Five Trailers and an Advance Featurette, which runs for only two minutes and is very similar to the footage we have seen on the extras disc for the movie. Alien Resurrection is the worst of them all as it only has two theatrical trailers and a TV Spot. Rounding up the disc is a Dark Horse Still Gallery and a featurette called Bob Burns Alien Collection, which is a sixteen minute featurette about a guy who owns various Alien memorabilia. So, there we have it, that’s a complete rundown of all the extras that you will find in this set. It's certainly an impressive list, I just hope I haven’t bored you in the process!

OverallThe Alien Quadrilogy is finally here; it’s been a long time in the making, but the wait has been worth it! Whether you are a fan of the films or not, this is definitely a collection you cannot miss. There is little doubting that the first two movies are the highlight of the franchise, but don’t be put off simply because of the final movies. Fox have delivered a collection which certainly sets new standards in the world of DVD, and should leave other distributors scratching their heads wondering how to match it. Whether or not you will have time to trawl your way through all the extras is up for debate, but at least it is nice to have the option! I might come to regret my next comment, but here goes anyway; the Alien Quadrilogy is the best DVD collection released so far, and you would be foolish to miss it. So, there we have it, comments please!!